Thumb Reporter

Port Huron Area School District had the highest enrollment among St. Clair County districts, welcoming 6,983 students during the 2024-25 school year, according to the Michigan Department of Education.

Of all the students welcomed in the 2024-25 school year, 51.3% of them were boys, and 48.7% were girls.

Data also showed that most of the students were white, representing 75% of the Port Huron Area School District total enrollment.

Among the 13 districts in St. Clair County, Anchor Bay School District ranked second in enrollment numbers with 5,334 students, while East China School District welcomed 3,433 students and ranked third in the 2024-25 school year.

Port Huron Area School District roughly covers schools within St. Clair County, with its main office in Port Huron.

In the previous school year, Port Huron Area School District also had the highest number of students among St. Clair County schools.

In the 2024-25 school year, 1,427,386 students enrolled in Michigan schools, a figure 4.8% below the pre-pandemic total of 1,499,552 in 2019-20, with white students seeing the largest decline of approximately 3%.

Academic performance in Michigan remains below pre-pandemic levels. According to the 2024 NAEP results, the share of students reaching the basic benchmark in core subjects is about 10 percentage points lower than in 2019—except for fourth-grade math, which saw a decline of just 2 points.

Achievement gaps between ethnic groups also persist. On average, Hispanic students scored 15 points below white students. The gap was even wider for Black students, who scored about 30 points lower than their white peers.

The 2025 education budget, approved by Gov. Whitmer last July, totals $23.4 billion—$900 million less than the previous year’s budget. K-12 schools are working with $20.6 billion, a reduction from the $21.5 billion allocated in 2024.

However, some school superintendents and educators were concerned about the new budget. "Schools cannot function properly without adequate funding for safety and mental health," stated Rep. David Martin, R-Davison, referring to a significant cut of around $301 million from school safety and mental health programs. Based on the current bill, the program will receive just $26.5 million.

District	City (Main Office)	Total Enrollment
Port Huron Area School District	Port Huron	6,983
Anchor Bay School District	Casco	5,334
East China School District	East China	3,433
Marysville Public Schools	Marysville	2,671
Yale Public Schools	Yale	1,734
Algonac Community School District	Clay	1,299
St. Clair County RESA	Marysville	760
Landmark Academy	Kimball	729
Capac Community Schools	Capac	686
Blue Water Middle College	Port Huron	205
Virtual Learning Academy of St. Clair County	Marysville	189
East Shore Leadership Academy	Port Huron	163
St. Clair County Intervention Academy	Port Huron	35